Housing structure



1941- H. B. LINDSAY HOUSING STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 26,1938 Nov. 18, 1941.

H. B. LINDSAY HOUSING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Nov. 18, 1941. H. B. LINDSAY HOUSING STRUCTURE Filed Jan.' 26, 1938 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 18, 1941. H. B. LINDSAY 9 5 HOUSING STRUCTURE FiledJan. 26, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .IIIIIIQIIIIII Patented Nov. 18, 1941UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOUSING STRUCTURE Harvey B. Lindsay,Evanston, Ill.

Application January 26, 1938, Serial No. 187,056

1 Claim.

My invention relates to housing structures, in general, but moreespecially to the general type of housing structures shown in U. B.Letters Patent No. 2,017,629, granted to me October 15, 1935, andinvolving, generally stated, skeleton framework and plates of' sheetmetal secured to the framework and extending across openings therein, mypresent invention relating to the construction of the corner portions ofthe housing.

The invention has application to a wide range of housing structuresincluding refrigerator structures especially of the transport type, andpassenger and freight car bodies. I

One of my objects is to provide a housing structure of the generalcharacter shown in said patent whereby objectionable protruding'parts'of the means fastening the sheet metal plates to the framework, areeliminated to the end of improving the appearance of the structure andin addition, in the case of vehicular housing structures, rendering thesurfaceof the structure of streamline contour.

Another object is to improve upon the corner construction of structuresinvolving the framework and plate feature referred to, to the end ofreducing the number of shapes required for producing the structure withconsequent economy of construction; producing a stronger cornerconstruction with a given amount of metal than hitherto possible;permitting of the variation in the shape of the corners within a widerange; and producing, if desired, a construction view taken at the line8 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken at the line 9 on Fig. 8 andviewed in the direction of the arrow showing the plate-securingbar inseparated relation to the structure with which it cooperates; and

Figure 10, a fragmentary view like Fig. 9 illustrating a modification ofthe flanged edge of the sheet metal plates.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as incorporated in a railwaycar body, as for example a refrigerator car, but without any intentionof limiting it thereto.

Referring to the particular illustrated construction, the car body isshown as supported on an underframe comprising cross bearers llsupported on car trucks (not shown) and a surrounding frame formed ofchannel side sills, one of which is represented at l2, and end sills.

Extending over, and along, the end and side sills are angle irons one ofwhich is shown at I 3, with a sheet metal plate hereinafter referred tointerposed therebetween, the angle irons and sills being securedtogether in any suitable way, as for example by bolts or rivets.

Superposing; and secured to, the underframe is a skeletoncar-body-forming framelike structure comprising portions of the sidewalls, end

of streamline" contour; and other objectsas Figure 4 is a plan view ofone end of a blank from which certain of the plates at Junctions of theside walls and roof, are formed.

Figure 5 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the blank formed intoits final condition.

Figure 6 is a broken enlarged sectional view taken at the line 6 on Fig.1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure '7 is a section taken at the line I on Fig. 6 and viewed in thedirection of the arrow.

Some of the bars forming the skeleton i'ramework referred to extendhorizontally along the side and end wallsof the car adjacent the upperand lower edges of these walls as represented at l5 and I6 and in curvedcondition at the several vertical corners of the structure as shown ofthe upper portion of the car at ll, the lower bars l6 being connectedwith the angle irons IS in any suitable way as for example by weldingthem thereto as represented at i8 and i9. Others 20 and 2| of these barsextend horizontally along the central line of the roof portion of thecar and adjacent its lateral Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlargedsectional edges, respectively, and others 22 crosswise of the roofadjacent the end walls of the car and at intervals along the roof. Stillothers 22 of these bars, secured at their lower ends to the bars l6,extend vertically from the bars l8 to the horizontal bars l at oppositesides of the vertical corner portions of the structure and also atintervals along the walls; and others shown at 24, of curved contour,from the upper bars l5 and H to the corner portions of the roof frameformed of the bars 2| and 22 and also at intervals along the walls.

The various bars forming the skeleton framework referred to are shown ascontinuous across all points of intersection between bars, the variousbars being rigidly secured together to form the framework in any desiredway, preferably being braced at the various points of intersection bygusset plates 25, as shown, if the framing is desired to be knock-down,or by welding for example, if the framing is desired to be permanent.

The framework at the roof portion of the car is shown as reinforced bycrosswise disposed Z- bars 26 extending the full width of the roofportion and to which the bars of the roof framework above described aresecured.

If desired the several bars may be reinforced at suitable intervals toprevent spreading in the securing thereto of the sheet metal plates, asby providing clips 2'! shown as of U-shape applied to straddlingposition on the bars as represented of the clip in Figs. 8 and 9 whereone such clip is shown as applied to one of the vertical channel bars23, the clips being secured to the bars in any desirable way, as forexample by welding them thereto.

The various openings provided by the framework are filled with sheetmetal plates the marglnal edges of which, inwardly flanged as shown,

extend into the channels of the several frame bars referred to in whichthey are rigidly clamped by clamping bars, preferably of channel shape,engaging the marginal edges of the plates; those portions of theclamping bars which cooperate with the straight frame bars beingstraight as represented at 28, 28, 20, ll, 32 and 32' and those portionswhich cooperate with the curved frame bars being curved as representedat 23, 34 and 35, whereby these clamping bars are caused to nest withthe frame bars with which they cooperate.

The clamping bars are held in assembled relation to the framework andplates by any suitable means, as for example screws, rivets or bolts 38which render the clamping bars and consequently the respective platesindividually removable for replacement or substitution in the event theybecome damaged.

The'plate hereinbefore referred to as interposed between the side andend sills of the underframe and the angle irons I3, is represented at 31this plate forming a floor for the car body with its marginal edges bentupwardly and thence inwardly to form flanges 38 which extend at theirextremities into the lower portions of the channels of the frame bars l6and in which they are clamped in place by the clamping bars cooperatingwith these frame bars.

The provision of the framework generally as shown contemplates theprovision of a car body the vertical corner portions of which betweenthe adjacent pairs of vertical bars 23, and the upper marginal edges ofthe roof of which between the bars l5 and the bars 2| and 22, are ofcurved shape in cross section and the corners of the roof marginsbetween the bars I! and 24 are of segmental spherical shape, whereby thecar body is rounded at all of its corners presenting much the same formas that of a basket.

These rounded portions of the car body are formed by providing theplates for use at these locations and represented at 39, 40, 4|, and 42at one of the similar four comers of the car body, of the desiredcontour, the plates which are used at the other openings of theframework being flat, such of the flat plates as are shown beingrepresented at 43, 44 and 45. The flanges on the sheet metal plates forcooperation with the clamping bars are illustrated at 48, these flangeson the curved edges of the several curved and segmental sphericalplates.

39, 40, 4| and 42 being formed by slitting the edges of the plate inflat condition as shown at 41 in Fig. 4 and bending the tongues 48 thusprovided between the slits to flange forming condition as shown in Fig.5, the tongues thus edgewise abutting to form a continuous flange whenthe plates are deformed into the desired curved condition.

As will be understood from the foregoing the inner edge portions of theclamping bars as they are forced inwardly into the channels in the framebars and into engagement with the flanges 46 on the sheet metal plates,tend to draw these plates into taut condition and hold them in place.

Except in the case of extremely thin metal plate it is desirable to bendthe marginal edges of the plates into flange form preliminary to theapplication of the clamping bars.

'I have found that to produce substantial tension inthe plates inclamping them to place it is necessary not only that the plates bepreliminarily bent generally as shown either by the full lines at 50 orthe dotted lines at 5|, to generally conform to the adjacent edgeportions of the frame bars over which they extend; but that, unless thesheet is very stiff, the inner edges of the plate flanges 46 should bedefinitely bent in an inward direction into curved form as for exampleas shown by full lines at 52 or by the dotted lines at 52 and H, wherevery stiff metal is used the bend may approximate that shown at 55 inFig. 10.

It has been found that the closer the bend I2, 53 or 54 extends to thebottom wall 56 of the frame bar, the less the resulting tension on theplate when flnally assembled, and the farther this bend from this bottomwall, the greater the resulting plate'tension. Furthermore, that for agiven tension inthe plate the thinner the sheet the closer the bend 52-should conform to the engaging edge of the adjacent leg of the clampingbar, and the heavier the plate the more open this bend should be.

By providing the frame members as of channel form and the clamping barsof similar form, the clamping bars extend substantially flush with theyplates producing a streamline surface free of projections which not onlymakes for a desirable appearance of any structure in which the inventionmay be embodied, but also lends itself to the streamline effect ofvehicle bodies.

The provision of the car body framework as shown and described permits01' the forming of the rounded exterior surfaces of any desired radiusor curvature, and even of practically square form if desired, theconstruction being of stresses at the corners of the structure and WhatI claim as new and desire to secure by which occurs where three comermembers meet, is avoided.

Furthermore, by constructing a housing in accordance with my invention,the number of structural shapes required for the entire structure isgreatly reduced inasmuch as the only two shapes required are those forthe channel framebars and the fastening bars resulting in greatreduction in heavy rolling mill die costs, as compared with structuresas hitherto provided.

No claim is made herein to the feature whereby the sheets or plates aretensioned in the assembling of the parts of the structure, nor to thefeature of tensioning the sheets or plates more or less as desired, asthese features are claimed, by structure and method claims, in mypending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No.214,785, flied June 20, 1938, which was filed as a continuation in partof the present application.

While I have illustrated and described a particular constructionembodying my invention I do not wish to be understood as intending tolimit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and alteredwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Letters Patent is:

In a housing structure: a self-sustaining frame the superstructurethereof formed throughout of channel members of uniform cross sectiondefining flat side and roof surface portions with curved surfaces atcertain of the corners of the structure; said members formed asrelatively shallow channel members of rolled steel shapes comprisingbottom web members, side flange members and outwardly directed marginsprojecting from said channel flanges; certain of said web memberscontinuous across intersections with meeting flange and margin membersmitered at their junctions at said intersections to provide channelscontinuous across each of said intersections; gusset plates underlyingand secured to each of the webs at such intersections; and with curvedframe members defining said curved surfaces forming continuations of thefiat surface defining members in said side and roof portions.

HARVEY B. LINDSAY.

